Happy Monday, everyone! Summer is officially here!  ( Well, for my north of the equator readers, that is. Happy winter to my readers down under! ) With the solstice also comes the realization that 2014 is half way over.

Like me, many of you started the new year ready for a fresh start. January was the time we made a promise to ourselves to create simpler, more meaningful lives. Becoming more Minimalist, whatever that meant to us, was our goal. We vowed to declutter and own less. We made resolutions about  not bringing new items into our home and not be blind to the many ways consumerism tried to gain control over our lives. In  January the year was new and so were our hopes for a better life in 2014.

Of course, life is never a smooth course and as winter gave way to spring maybe the hopes you had for 2014 in January slid further into the back of your mind. Maybe challenges appeared in your pursuit of a more Minimalist life that you did not anticipate. Maybe projects that you had the best intentions of completing now seem overwhelming. It happens to all of us everyday. That is why a mid year review is so helpful. It allows us to see how far we have come, how we have grown as individuals, and where we need to get back on track to create the life we want for ourselves and the values we want to share with the world.

So, pull out those New Year dreams for a better life 2014 and read what you wanted to start creating for yourself this year. Here are some ideas to help you keep the second half of 2014 moving you forward towards the person you are meant to become.

1. Remember that life is a process and creating a lifestyle worth having is not a straight shot. There are ups and downs and progress is made a little at a time.
2. Celebrate the successes you have had so far on your journey. So what if it was only one closet you cleaned out  in February. That is one less closet of junk you are dealing with in your life!
3. Take the time to reflect in the subtle changes you have undergone as you began a quest for a simpler life. We are always in a state of transformation and you are a different person than you were in January. How have you changed?
4. Become re-motivated. Sometimes we forget all that we set out accomplish when begin to make a conscious effort to change our lives. Going back and reviewing what we hoped to create for ourselves six months ago can give us the extra push we need to get back on track and in touch with our ideals.
5. Be honest about what has frustrated you and held you back in creating your Minimalist life or the life you want in general. Addressing our frustrations and finding solutions to our setbacks helps us to succeed.
6. Have a sense of humor and laugh at things that did not go as planned. Laughter is the best medicine and setbacks are great teachers.
7. Enjoy the life you are creating. It is all for nothing if you are not enjoying the process.

As always, I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and experiences on your Minimalist journey or life journey the past six months. The good, the bad, and the unexpected. 🙂

Until next time,

Laura